Stephanie A. Russell, J.D. Safe Kids Worldwide North Dakota Conference on Injury Prevention & Control October 29, 2008 The Basics of Effective Advocacy

2 What is Advocacy? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law: “the action of advocating, pleading for, or supporting a cause or proposal” It’s people talking to people; the secret is effective communication

3 Why is your advocacy important? Political Answer: Members of Congress and State Legislators want to be reelected They want your vote and the votes of your family, your friends, your colleagues, your community members.

4 Why is your advocacy important? Practical Answer: You are the expert No Member of Congress or Legislator (or their staff members) can possibly know everything about every subject he or she votes on. Therefore, they must rely on experts to inform them about issues. And can make them look good

5 Why is your advocacy important?

6 Target your Message First rule of advocacy: Politicians want to hear from their constituents Know the legislative process—timing is key Find a member to introduce legislation After introduction, target members of committee Before a vote, broaden effort to entire chamber If a member introduced the bill you support, you don’t need to target him or her at vote time Use online resources to follow the process and the players state legislature homepages (search by bill # or keyword) house.gov & senate.gov; thomas.loc.gov

7

8 Know your Audience Know your legislator Member homepages & state legislature websites; Bioguide.congress.gov Biography, committee assignments, if they have taken a position on your legislation, if they have supported other legislation in the past that you care about This also helps you target your message- key committee assignments, ‘find a friend’ Representative Robin Weisz; EMS Association Legislator of the Year 1999 Representative Lisa Meier; District Commissioner of the Boy Scouts Representative Lois Delmore; member of ND Drug & Alcohol Commission

9 Know your Audience Particularly at the federal level, you will likely deal with staff Possibly young (average age is 26) May not be well informed about issues Assess their level of understanding and adjust your messaging (and terminology) accordingly Are often more powerful because they are more specialized

10 Messaging Developing your message Clear and concise “ask” Must be an action item Supported by facts State or district specific, if possible; don’t need many, just enough to make the point Brief Uniform & Repetitive Fact: There were 23 reported ATV-related fatalities in North Dakota from Ask: Support legislation that keeps kids off ATVs Ask: Vote YES on S. 1234!

11 Messaging Developing your talking points 3-5 one-sentence statements that support your ask Stay away from very detailed statistics or points that need further explanation (think sound bites or newspaper quotes) If you are working in a coalition, make sure all agree and use same talking points Sprinkler systems save lives by containing and extinguish fires. Sprinkler systems protect occupants who may not be able to escape on their own, such as children and the elderly. According to the United States Fire Administration, no more than two people have ever died in an ordinary fire in a building with a working sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems are cost effective—they cost between $1.00 and $1.50 per square foot in new construction and studies have shown they could prevent millions of dollars in property damage each year.

12 Messaging General tips for communicating with lawmakers and staff Identify yourself as a constituent Establish your credibility Personalize, but remain professional Leave your contact information Always stay positive Don’t say “I will not vote for you if you do X” Thank them for something they have done Sometimes you have to agree to disagree—and that’s okay!

13 Phone Calls Fastest way to convey message Use when vote happening today Best way to target multiple offices Indentify yourself as a constituent and expert Safe Kids coalition coordinator, pediatrician, parent Ask for staffer who works on that specific issue Expect to get voic Use your clear and concise ask, leave your full name and phone number, and say thank you

14 Letters No more than one page in length Be clear about what you want the member to do Give them an action item (your “ask”) Keep your message short and simple State your “ask” in the introduction and conclusion Add state or district specific data if possible Begin by thanking the member if they have done something positive Include your contact information Be careful about using letterhead

15 Letters continued For letters to Congress, use fax or Regular mail is still being screened for security purposes and takes months to arrive Address your letter to “The Honorable” Greeting should read “Dear Senator” or “Dear Representative” so-and-so

16

17 Leave Behinds No more than one page in length Visually appealing White space, minimal text Be clear about what you want the member to do Give them an action item (your “ask”) Put it at the top of the page and use bold font Include 3-4 bullets to support your “ask” Add state or district specific data if possible Include your contact information

18

19 In-Person Visit Prepare for your visit Usually with staff Schedule in advance Be persistent One issue per visit Have a clear and concise “ask” Prepare some background materials Less is more Dress appropriately May occur in a non-office setting

20 In-Person Visit Prepare for your visit Expect the unexpected Walking and talking, standing in the hallway, meeting in the reception area, meeting for five minutes or an hour Be prepared to meet with someone young, who may or may not have ever heard of the issue you plan to discuss Avoid acronyms, terms of art, medical jargon, etc.

21 In-Person Visit During your visit Introduce yourself and establish your credibility Physician, grandparent, school bus driver Start with small talk, but don’t waste time State the clear purpose of your visit (the “ask”) Don’t get bogged down in statistics Your leave behind and other written materials will provide details and they can follow-up for more information (but make sure you explain what materials you are leaving) Provide a personal story or example

22 In-Person Visit During your visit No matter what happens, maintain a professional tone; sometimes you have to agree to disagree Thank the person for his or her time and leave your contact information Offer to serve as a resource on future issues Don’t have unrealistic expectations Even if the staff person seems to agree with what you are saying throughout your meeting, it is extremely unlikely for the visit to end with them giving you everything you want, making promises of support, etc.

23 In-Person Visit After your visit Send a thank you or note and use that as another opportunity to reinforce your message Follow-up and maintain the relationship; become that member’s trusted resource If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, and offer to follow-up with an answer—don’t jeopardize your credibility

24 The Power of Coalitions

25 Resources Safe Kids American Academy of Pediatrics Kaiser State Health Factswww.statehealthfacts.org Kids Count CDC CPSC Congress Federal Legislation thomas.loc.gov For Kids clerkkids.house.gov bensguide.gpo.gov

26 Final Thoughts Advocacy is about personal connections and communication Don’t be discouraged—patience and persistence pay off